Martial Saint!

Compared to Barto's domain assault, Lu Chenzhou's strike looked overwhelmingly powerful, yet it was so quiet, like a needle falling into the sea, so that the surrounding Grandmasters, as well as Wu Yun and the others, felt no tremor at all.

"Inject True Gang into the long spear, then unleash it as a spear formation; combine the armor-breaking trait of the Penetration Dao with the corrosive property of the Blood Moon Dao, and you form an unstoppable piercing force. Not a single bit of energy is wasted in this blow—fast, precise, lethal, just like a beam of laser light!"

He was breathing slightly harder.

"This strike has even further range and greater power, several times that of Water Drops Can Wear Stones. The energy level just now must've neared three million; the only flaw is that it burns through True Gang: one attack cost me a quarter of it.

Theoretically, the more True Gang I pour in, the stronger it becomes. If I burned it all, I could even pierce the moon. But if the enemy just happens to have a way to avoid it and I'm left without any True Gang, even with my powerful body, I'd be at real risk. Must use caution."

Martial God Spear, Thirteenth Form—he had understood it. This time his teachers were the Sheep-Horned Demon Emperor and the Blood Ancient God.

The Martial Arts Tree skyrocketed to 220,000 zhang.

[Martial God Spear: Ninth Rank (First Molting)]

"Soon... Supreme Spear Technique."

...

"Thi-this..."

In Wang Xian's mind, there was only that blood-red pillar of light.

Lin Xia also froze in place.

"Is this really my junior brother?"

The siblings had seen Principal Wang make a move before, but they felt... it might not compare to their junior brother now.

"Junior Brother is about to surpass Master."

"Master comes out, the skies will change."

Hong Tianxiang and the others stared, wide-eyed.

Elder Yu's jaw had hit the floor.

The Northern Guardian King's voice rang out from the Lighting Order.

[Yu Cheng, report status?]

Yu Cheng jolted awake as if from a dream.

"President, Chief Lu has made a Breakthrough Sixth."

[Good. Seems the crisis has passed. Yaochi Immortal should be here soon; she ran into trouble on the road.]

"President, I'll send the combat projection to you."

Yu Cheng was so excited his beard quivered.

After viewing the projection, the Northern Guardian King was silent for a long time. By his side, Old Yellow River Ghost, Ye Xiaoyao, and others were the same.

[That's a Breakthrough Sixth, right?]

"Yes."

The four peak Heavenly Kings exchanged looks.

"Old Ghost, what are your thoughts?"

"Comparisons kill! Just stepped into Heavenly King, and already can crush Middle Realm Demon Emperors. His outright power must be approaching End Realm Demon Emperors. Once his Qi-Blood catches up, soon even End Realm Demon Emperors will be nothing to fear."

"After Breakthrough Sixth, fighting up small realms is no less difficult than Breakthrough Second attempting to defy Breakthrough Third. Let's see how far he can go."

...

"Wu Yun, what's going on over there? Why so much commotion—could there be more Demon Venerables?"

From the Communication Order, Cold Moon Immortal's voice sounded.

"Palace Master, n-no, the Outsider made Breakthrough Sixth and within moments killed that Insect Race Demon Emperor and Barto Demon Emperor too. Is he really not a Great Power reborn?"

"I don't know either. I'm holding off the Lightning Demon Venerable, but this Falcon Demon is adept at escape skills. I can't last much longer. Get the Outsider out—have him hide. Take the Grandmasters and stash them in the Cold Moon Palace secret realm."

"Yes."

Wu Yun took a deep breath and moved to the center of the battlefield.

Looking from here, there was a hole about a zhang wide, seemingly bottomless, with the surrounding rock walls melted smooth and stained blood-red, filled with Blood Moon Dao Essence.

"Blood Moon? Isn't that the Ancient God?"

Wu Yun's face shifted.

Could it be... this Human Clan member is an incarnation of the Ancient God?

For a moment, her mind was chaos.

She had just seen the Outsider dive underground.

She summoned courage and flew down after him.

One thousand zhang.

Ten thousand zhang.

One hundred li.

Three hundred li.

"How deep was that strike?"

Wu Yun gripped her longsword, inwardly shaken.

"His combat talent is truly astounding. That spear, it's so clearly learned from Barto's Hell Breath—he picks it up at a glance? Even a god couldn't do such a thing, could they?"

Her thoughts spun madly.

Until she reached a thousand li underground.

Here, magma was everywhere.

Even her Qi Barrier was melting away.

At last, she saw a white-robed figure.

He walked right through the magma, as if searching for something, spiritual power vast and filling the underground world.

"As expected, not dead!"

Lu Chenzhou sneered coldly.

He leapt into the magma.

White steam billowed up, his robe turning to vapor.

A moment later, a towering Dharma Form broke through the magma, standing amidst the blazing fire, a headless corpse whose skull had been pierced clutched in its hand—the heart was still beating.

Barto's terrified voice came.

"H-how did you know I wasn't dead?"

"Because I didn't see your soul."

"W-why do you want my soul?"

"To eat it, of course."

The soul was plucked from the headless corpse, and, with sickening chewing sounds, fed into the Dharma Form's gut to dissolve.

"You—you're a demon!"

Barto's voice echoed underground.

[Penetration: Third Rank (70%) → Fourth Rank]

[Dao-finder: One Sword Immortal (Slain)]

...

"Not bad, definitely stronger than the last one, but still nowhere near the Divine Clone." Lu Chenzhou stowed Barto's corpse and his spoils—these could be exchanged with senior brother for Mid-grade Primordial Stones. Can't waste them.

"The furthest to walk the Penetration Dao—One Sword Immortal. I've heard of him. He was an Eight Realms Sword Immortal, famed as yin-yang to the Heavenly Sword Sect and Li Sword Immortal. He killed using only a single sword strike. His greatest feat was, as an Eight Realms being, breaking the defenses of a Half-step Great Power, using Penetration to its utmost."

This shows—

Even Low Class and Intermediate Daos can shine brilliantly.

There is no high or low in Dao; power lies in the cultivator.

"Now that I've got Fourth Rank Penetration, if my Heaven and Earth Piercing Strike lands, even an End Realm Demon Emperor would be gravely wounded, surely?" Lu Chenzhou calculated inwardly.

Wu Yun stood dumbstruck.

He mastered the Blood Moon Dao, devoured souls, too.

This is clearly an evil demon template.

But the man's mood was calm as water, not a trace of evil intent—like a flawless jade stone.

Lu Chenzhou turned toward her.

"And you are?"

"Eighteenth Elder of the Three Suns Palace, my master is Cold Moon Immortal, my master's master is Three Suns Immortal—both are Heavenly Realm powerhouses."

"Oh? What's your business?"

"My master and your leader made an agreement to protect your safety. Now that the Demon Race is invading on a large scale, I am taking you to the Three Suns Secret Realm to wait for your civilization's rescue."

Lu Chenzhou contacted the Northern Guardian King, too.

He confirmed her words were true.

"Fine, but I won't go. Take the others to the secret realm; I'll help you clear out the demon monsters."

This war had a scale far too high. Since the Grandmasters of the Xia Realm were bound to be targeted, hiding was the best option.

Grandmasters were strong, but before a Demon Emperor, could be wiped out in a single breath. Not to mention, there were three Demon Venerable Level presences left in this world—this wasn't the Xia Realm, where the Human Clan held dominance.

As for himself—

He hadn't had enough of the fight yet.

Seeing Lu Chenzhou so full of battle intent, Wu Yun worried aloud:

"Do you still have the stamina to fight?"

He'd just slain two Demon Emperors in a row. The move he'd just used was strong, but surely that too was some hidden card.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Wu. I was only warming up."

Lu Chenzhou turned and left.

Wu Yun remained, silent.

...

In another world—

Boundless starry sky.

On a green planet ten thousand li in diameter, great vine-like tendrils stretched out, shrouding a stretch of the stars. The planet itself was a mighty existence, huge, nearly undying, able even to match the Eight Realms.

Green light beams shot into the heavens.

A black-scaled figure fled out in disgrace.

"Damn it, even this world has a Middle Stage of Eighth Realm existence. Three months wasted for nothing!"

Black Mountain Demon Saint tore a rift in the void.

...

Three Suns Secret Realm.

"Lu Heavenly King, let us fight too! We've just gotten much stronger—let us contribute!"

"Yes, Junior Brother, we want to battle as well!"

The Grandmasters grew eager, one after another.

Lu Chenzhou said, "Circumstances are special. Everyone wait here for rescue. If you want to fight, wait till we're back in the Xia Realm. The Wanbang Council has paid a steep price to save us—if you're wiped out by Demon Venerables, how can I answer to the Northern Guardian King?"

Wang Xian sighed inwardly.

"Still not strong enough!"

Lin Xia clung to Lu Chenzhou's arm.

"Junior Brother, be careful. We know nothing about this world, or the Demon Emperors' powers."

Lu Chenzhou smiled and said:

"Don't worry. I am very strong."

His figure faded; before leaving, he told Wu Yun, left at the secret realm, "Comrade, I leave this place to you."

Wu Yun replied, "Thank you, Dao-friend Lu."

She had witnessed this man's methods.

She felt a rising anticipation within.

If the Three Suns Palace powerhouses could pin down those top Demon Emperors and Demon Venerables, with Lu Chenzhou's skill, he might sweep the majority of Early and Middle Stage Demon Emperors. That would grievously wound Corpse Palace's strength; even if it couldn't turn the war, it would ease the pressure on Three Suns Palace greatly and save countless lives.

...

The Demon Race's main base.

Devouring Country Demon Venerable and Mountain Forest Demon Venerable looked grim.

"Barto and the others' soul lamps have gone out."

"What happened? With Three Suns Palace's main force held up by us, who could slay Barto in this world?"

"I don't know either. Barto just recently grasped domain powers—his strength was closing in on the top ten Demon Emperors of our palace. Even if he lost, he should've survived."

"Was it... Lu Chenzhou?"

"He's just at Initial Breaking Realm, not even stabilized. Even for a Genius, holding even with Barto would be remarkable."

"Then there's only one explanation: a Heavenly Realm powerhouse from the Xia Realm may already be in this world."

...

Leaving the secret realm, Lu Chenzhou was lifted by the force of the magnetic field into the heights. With a thought, he flashed through the sky like lightning. This was his first true flying escape—no need for Qinggong, nor shadow shuttling. He felt as though the sky was boundless and the sea broad, free to ride wherever he pleased.

"Exhilarating!"

Lu Chenzhou reveled in his newly refined body. Though his Qi-Blood was merely doubled, the leap in quality and the mystical gifts of the Heavenly King meant his power had multiplied far more.

Endless battle intent blazed up.

He closed his eyes. His heart intent soared to infinity. This world, in his eyes, finally unveiled its mysterious veil.

He saw layer upon layer of folded space.

He saw a world hidden in a bubble—and circling it from without, three great golden-winged birds.

He was like a sky god above the nine heavens—

Overlooking this world from God's eye view.

And beyond the world—the boundless void.

"The Void!"

This was the Ruins Sea dividing the dimensions of countless worlds. To put it simply, if the universe is a giant planet with a complex folded structure, then the Void is the sea water between cracks, and the countless Three Thousand Worlds are islands scattered on that endless ocean.